Switzerland's Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Foreign Gambling Sites

Switzerland's supreme court has upheld a ban on accessing foreign online gambling sites, dashing the hopes of three betting outfits to tap the Swiss market. The Federal Court said in a statement the "domain name system" ban was proportionate. Gaming officials have since 2019 used network blocks to limit access to the market to Swiss-approved games of chance.

Senators Ask Treasury Secretary for Details on National Security Review of TikTok

A group of six Republican senators asked U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen about an ongoing Biden administration national security review of social media platform TikTok. The U.S. government's Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which reviews deals by foreign acquirers for potential national security risks, in 2020 ordered Chinese parent company ByteDance to divest TikTok because of fears that U.S. user data could be passed on to China's communist government.

Senators Seek Information from Facebook About Policy on Gun Sales

Three top Senate Democrats are urging Facebook to be more transparent about an internal policy that allows gun sellers to violate the company’s prohibition against peer-to-peer firearm sales 10 times before they are kicked off the platform. Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) sent a letter to Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, requesting documentation about how the company’s “strikes” system, which gives users who break the company’s rules a specific number of passes and a tiered system of punishments, applies to guns.

Australian Consumer Group Says Retailers Used Facial Tech Illegally

Three of Australia's biggest retail chains have been referred to the privacy regulator for recommended enforcement action by a major consumer group which has said they use "unreasonably intrusive" facial recognition technology on customers. CHOICE, in a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, said use of the technology at JB Hi-Fi Ltd's appliances chain The Good Guys as well as hardware chain Bunnings and the Australian arm of big-box retailer Kmart — both owned by Wesfarmers Ltd — was unwarranted.

Senators Urge FTC to Probe Apple, Google Over Collecting Mobile Data

A group of Democratic senators is urging the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Apple and Google over their collection of mobile users' information. In a letter addressed to FTC Chair Lina Khan, the lawmakers — Senators Ron Wyden, Elizabeth Warren, Cory A. Booker and Sara Jacobs — accuse the tech giants of "engaging in unfair and deceptive practices by enabling the collection and sale of hundreds of millions of mobile phone users' personal data."

Most Russian Cyberattacks Failed in First Months of Ukraine War

A new examination of how Russia used its cybercapabilities in the first months of the war in Ukraine contains a number of surprises: Moscow conducted more cyberattacks than was realized at the time to bolster its invasion, but more than two-thirds of them failed, echoing its poor performance on the physical battlefield. However, the study, published by Microsoft, suggested that the government of President Vladimir V. Putin was succeeding more than many expected with its disinformation campaign to establish a narrative of the war favorable to Russia, including making the case that the United States was secretly producing biological weapons inside Ukraine.

After Abortion Decision, Google Tells Employees They Can Relocate

Google sent a companywide email about the historic Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, explaining employees in affected states can apply for relocation without explaining why. “This is a profound change for the country that deeply effects so many of us, especially women,” wrote Google Chief People officer Fiona Cicconi in an email to workers, viewed by CNBC. “Googlers can also apply for relocation without justification, and those overseeing this process will be aware of the situation.”

  • Read the article: CNBC

Meta Tells Employees Not to Openly Discuss Supreme Court's Abortion Ruling

Meta told its workers not to openly discuss the Supreme Court’s ruling eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion on wide-reaching communication channels inside the company, people with knowledge of the situation said. Managers at Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, cited a company policy that put “strong guardrails around social, political and sensitive conversations” in the workplace, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Supreme Court's Abortion Decision Prompts Push for Data Privacy Laws

Supporters of proposals offering protections around data that could provide information about people seeking abortions are pushing for swift action after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. As Democrats weigh responses to the 6-3 court decision that will trigger abortion bans in 13 states, and likely lead to severe restrictions in others, supporters of key data privacy proposals said it is urgent to ensure Americans’ location, search and call data isn’t used to target people seeking abortion care.

Justice Department Dismantles Russian Network of Hacked Devices

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it has dismantled a Russian network of hacked internet-connected devices in a coordinated effort with foreign counterparts to crack down on malicious cyber activities. The DOJ said it worked with law enforcement agencies in Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom to take down the Russian botnet, known as RSOCKS.

Senators Ask TikTok CEO About Allowing Russian State-Approved Media

Republican senators asked TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew about reports the social media site had allowed Russian state-approved media content but barred other videos. "Recent reports indicate TikTok… has allowed Russian state media to flood the platform with dangerous pro-war propaganda. No company should find itself in the position of amplifying the Kremlin’s lies, which fuel public support for Russia’s war of choice in Ukraine," said the letter, led by Steve Daines and signed by John Cornyn, Roger Wicker, John Barrasso, James Lankford and Cynthia Lummis.

Amazon CEO Personally Asking Senators to Oppose Tech Antitrust Bill

Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy has been directly calling senators to urge them to oppose an antitrust bill that could significantly rein in the tech giants, marking an escalation in the big tech companies’ ferocious lobbying against the legislation. The tech executive has called multiple senators in recent weeks to lobby against the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, which is co-sponsored by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), according to three people familiar with the outreach.

Lawmakers Ask Google CEO to Probe Misleading Abortion-Related Searches

A group of Democratic senators and representatives called on Google to look into search results and ads tied to “anti-abortion ‘fake clinics’” amid a recent report that showed their prevalence in 13 states with so-called “trigger laws” that would almost immediately ban or severely restrict abortion should Roe v. Wade be overturned by the Supreme Court. Thirteen senators and eight representatives signed a letter to Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google parent company Alphabet Inc., in which they highlighted a report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) that showed that in 13 states with trigger laws, searches for “abortion pill” or “abortion clinic near me” showed clinics that did not provide those services 11 percent of the time.

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The GigaLaw Firm helps companies of all sizes protect their brands online, using domain name dispute policies – such as the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) – and other legal tools available to copyright and trademark owners on the Internet.